Old Days

It’s Valentines Day, and I am sitting at AltamontCowork just thinking about how technology has changed my life. MY technology, since I am an engineer (MSEE, University of Kansas) who spent most of his life advancing (or trying to advance) technology….in particular video conferencing and collaboration from a distance.

Truthfully….I am not really sure if we did (or are doing) a great job with technology…sometimes one needs to turn off, and just be within themselves. But…..the value of continuing old friendships (and making new real friends) even though you may be thousands of miles apart…..is priceless. And, as as we have seen in the past month, we now have the power to change the world…hopefully, for the better.

For better or worse…here goes.

The good old days…how much they have changed

When we used to go out bike riding in the woods….woods??? Mostly parking lots and houses.

When we played outside, in the fresh air with our neighbors…..sit inside and play games on the TV, computer, or Smartphone (Robo Defense rocks!), sometimes, with people around the world.

When our friends lived in the neighborhood or town, and we were really friends….Now I have friends from all over the world, some (hmmm, many) of whom are not friends at all.

When you called a friend on the phone and talked for hours…..you text or FB or Google chat with 500 “friends” all day long (can we say Borg?).

When cars were distinctly different and gas 25 cents a gallon (or less)…..I can’t tell a Honda from a Ford, and gas is going up thru $4.00 per gallon, again.

When Tommy (sorry….Tom, standing in top photo) could tweak his carburetor….tweek the computer.

When we picked up the phone and asked Ruth to connect us to Dr. Friedman, and you had to wait in line at a phone booth to make a call…cell phones, smartphones, everyone has one (or more than one), see if you can find a phone booth that has phones in it!

Modern Use for a Phone Booth (BART Embarcadero)

When I could get concert tickets and actually get good seats (but we had to stand on line at the Ticketmaster location in the music store)….now we get shit seats even though we connect via the Internet instantly.

When I used to send away for product information and wait 2 weeks or more for it to be sent back…..Internet. If a company does not have excellent information on the Internet…I go away.

When I used to sit in the library for hours and hours doing research…..Internet.

When I had to use the xerox machine to make copies in the library…..Smartphone.

When I used to perk a good cup of coffee….now it drips or I just order a Starbucks to go.

When I could read a book and feel it’s heft, and smell the binding…..Nook, Kindle, etc

When we would sit and write a letter to a friend or pen pal….email, text, Facebook, Twitter to the world instantly.

When our TV was color only because of the color wheel spinning in front of it….HDTV

When I was talking to Mr. Alexander over the hedges about how people might use this new thing called a computer…we all know what happened.

When we could drive to work from Tracy, CA to Pleasanton, CA in 30 minutes….over 1 hour.

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About Mike Pihlman

I am the Director of ForCarol.com a 501c3 non-profit that awards college scholarships to Tracy, CA scholars in honor of my daughter's best friend, and our part-time daughter, Carol Phan who we lost on Sept 18, 2010.
I am a: Book Review (TracyReaderDad.com), Technology (TechyMike.com), and Movie Review (ForCarol.com) blogger.